8 Healthy Snacks For Paddling Trips

What to pack for energy and longevity on your next paddling trip

Details

WRITTEN BY Adventure Kayak Staff

1. Energy balls

All kinds of healthy and delicious ingredients can be incorporated into these delicious bundles. Most contain nut butters, nuts, dried fruit and some kind of sweetener. Energy balls are great for paddling trips because they can pack a lot of calories, protein and fiber into a small package. You can throw a dozen into a small container and break them out on portages or for a quick floating snack.

Adventure Kayak's Energy Ball Recipe

1 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup peanut or almond butter

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup

1/3 cup hemp hearts

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup soaked dates

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse for about 10 seconds, until ingredients are mixed together but not too fine. Remove from food processor and form mixture into small balls. Place on a plate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

2. Ultimate Trail Mix

Trail mix is the classic backcountry trip snack. Make it your own and ensure you will eat it by skipping the prepackaged variety and adding in healthy and scrumptious ingredients. Our favorite additions?

Brazil nuts

Yogurt-covered raisins

A dark chocolate bar cut into pieces

Skor bar chunks

Slices of dried mango

Roasted almonds

Dried apples

Peanut-butter M&Ms

Cashews

Peanuts

Chocolate covered goji berries

3. Homemade beef jerky

Beef jerky is a satisfying and high protein snack perfect for paddling trips. Most beef jerky you find in stores however is full of sodium, chemicals and unhealthy additives. Make a healthier and more delicious version at home in large batches and grab some each time you go on a backcountry adventure.

4. Salt and vinegar roasted chickpeas

Chickpeas are a nutritional powerhouse. They contain 15 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbohydrates and 12 grams of dietary fiber per serving, allowing you to stay satisfied and fueled on your paddling trips. Roasting them with salt and vinegar infuses them with lots of flavor.

We like the Oh She Glows easy salt and vinegar roasted chickpea recipe; the simple preparation and 4 ingredient list means you can whip up a tray or two the night before your trip as you pack.

5. Backcountry smorgasbord

For something in between a snack and a meal, the backcountry smorgasbord is king. Buy your favorite cheese, crackers, olives, cold cuts, raw veggies, hummus or other dips and assemble on a plate or cutting board during a break from paddling. To make this a quicker snack, pre-cut items as necessary and store near the top of your food hatch or pack. Our favorite combination? Smoked Gouda, turkey, Wheat Thins, black olives, sliced red peppers and baba ghanoush.

6. Dehydrated yogurt

Plain Greek yogurt is a high protein snack that will keep you full for hours. To dehydrate Greek yogurt, spread in a thin and even layer over parchment paper laid on a cookie sheet. You want the yogurt to in a thick enough layer that you can’t see parchment paper. Dehydrate at 135 degrees for approximately seven hours. When the yogurt is done it should peel off the parchment paper easily. Pack it in a plastic bag in pieces. Once you are on your paddling trip, add water to the dehydrated yogurt in a bowl and mix. Keeping adding water gradually as needed. Top with nuts, hemp hearts and honey.

7. Ants on a log

This classic kid’s snack is perfect for a day on the water. Pre-cut three stalks of celery into two inch pieces. Spread all-natural peanut butter in the hollow space and top with raisins. If you want to get really wild, opt for dried cranberries.

8. Rice cakes with peanut butter and banana

This delicious snack gives you carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Swap the peanut butter for almond or another nut butter if preferred. Make sure to have a knife handy to chop the banana. Tip: Pack the rice crackers in something solid to prevent crumbling.

ABOUT ADVENTURE KAYAKAdventure Kayak is the international paddling magazine for sea kayakers, touring kayakers and lakewater kayakers. Adventure Kayak is smart, informative and action-packed editorial, mixing in the soft-sided human-interest stories and the lifestyle that is this sport's massive appeal. We believe paddling should be daily recreation, not a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Our award-winning writers file stories from all over the world, from multi-month expeditions to inland waterways where our readers live, work and play.